Releasing device.



E. B. GROGKER.

RELEASING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED muzs, 1913.

1,1 30,803. Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Zb'az7weeea:

, up s'ra'rs inn c MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

BELEASING DEVICE.

Application filed May 28, 1913.

To all whom'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST B. CROCKER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Releasing Devices, of which the following is a specification. I

. This invention relates to releasing devices, and more particularlyto releasing devices peculiarly adapted for use in opening and retarding the sudden closing of the measuring jaws of gages of the type shown in Letters ;Patent of the United States No. 1,027 ,827 granted to Howard E. Eddy and myself, May 18, 1912. In the said patenta spring normally holds the presser foot, or movable measuring jaw, in engagement with the anvil, or fixed measuring jaw, and a plunger is provided. adapted when depressed to lift the presser' foot from, the anvil to facilitate the insertion of the sheet of material to be measured, and whenlreleasedpermits the said spring to move the presser foot into engagement with the surface of the sheet. Actual experience with the said instrument in service has demonstrated that the original releasing mechanism shown in said patent whilemechanically adequate, proves asource of injury to the instrument in the hands of careless or inexperienced users who often depress theplunger and suddenly release it, so that the gage hand is snapped violently back to zero position, thus bending it or loosening it upon its arbor. It will be apparent that when the hand is thus bent or loosened the accuracy and therefore theusefulness ofthe device is impaired. Experience has further demonstrated that it, is not uncommon for thoughtless or inexperienced usersof these gages to remove their finger from i the plunger and violently to pullout material which has, been clamped inthe jaws for measurement. The result is that the jaws come together with a snap and the gage hand is violently whipped'back to zero and bent or loosened. I

I It is the object of this invention to providea releasing device which will eliminate this element of damage tothe instrument in service. I f l Referring. to the drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of my invention Figure 1 isa front view of a gage ofthe Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 770,308.

type hereinbefore named, the casing dial and hand being removed and showing my improved releasing device in operative position upon the gage casing; Fig. 2 is an enlarged/sectional view of my improved re leasing device; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

The gage casing A is provided with an opening in which is mounted, in any suitable manner, a cylindrical rod guide B. Preferably, the guide B is provided with a circumferential flange Z) adapted to engage the casing A on its inner side, and a circumferential flange b at its top between which and the casing A is a sleeve C secured to the case of the instrument. Slidably mounted in said guide and projecting from the top thereof, is a hollow cylindrical push rod D having a collar S suitably secured upon its lower end and provided with a shoulder D and a pair of oppositely disposed slots or grooves D Seated upon said shoulder D is a coil spring E, upon which is slidably mounted a stem F having a taperlng portion f, as shown, and projecting beyond the top of the push rod D.

To the top of said stem F is secured in any sultable manner a cap or push button G. The stem F is of such length and projects beyond the top of the rod D for such a distance that the cap or button G secured thereto and thetop of the push rod D are spaced apart leaving a gap, as clearly shown at X in Fig.2.

Within the slots or grooves D are frict-ion rolls, H, preferably of the form best shown in Fig. 3. having a circumferential groove h adapted to fit the cylindrical stem F and having their ends rounded to permit them readily to engage and rotate upon the I cylindrical wall of the rod guide B. The i said friction rolls H normally engage the stem F. and by reason of the tension ofthe spring E said rolls are pressed outward bv said stem .F against the wall of the guide B, thus frietionallv locking the rod Dragainst movement within its guide. While the provision of a pair of slots or grooves D with rolls H therein as shown. is the preferred construction. the number of slots and rolls is not essential; If desired. a-single slot or groove D and single roll Hamay be eme ploved, or more than two may be provided. Further. if desired. balls or other usual pression necessary to close the gap at and release the friction 'rol'ls D is obtained Y without extending the spring J which would raise theipresser foot and move'the hand on its dial The friction rolls being thus released and th'e'gap at X closed, further downward pressure upon the button G causes "the push rod vto slidein the guide B and to engage the lever Lto which thepresser foot is secured, extending spring J, rocking said lever :and liftingf'the presser foot. If now the user "without inserting materlal betweenthe measuring ,j aws, 2'. e., the presser foot 'I and anvil K, suddenly removes his fingerv from {the button G, or pulls out the material 'orsheet from between the jaws of the instrument without .holdingthe button down, the springE, which under compression at the end :of the stemF, forces said stemupward or outward causingthe tapered portion ,7 sharply to engage and-drive the V friction rdlls H outward in their slots D against the wall of the guide L'B, thereby'arresting the further outward'movement of the push .rod D, locking said rod'and 'preventing the closing of the measuring aws.

Thus, sudden-and violent movement of the lever 1L and presser "foot I'is'prevented so that the spring J does not snap the ,jaws together and violently'whip the 'hand'back to new position. "It will be apparent that upon thesudden release .of the buttonias above "describedfsome movement of the seg ment 'T, and consequently of the gage hand, will "result l'before the frictional locking mechanism has stopped the upward movement ofthe push rod. This movement of theha'nd is,.however, "limited, and its arrest i'agradual so that no damage results. 1

i V fTo'unlockthe rolls H and allow "the push rod D to'slide outward so that the'presser v c J foot or jaw I may return to normal closed position, "the button G "is depressed sufficiently'to-close thegap at X, thuspushing thestemF downward against the spring 1*) and releasing the rolls 'H so that the push rod D may slide freely in the guide.

If the device is properly operated, the

frictional looking'means above described are not brought into action. Ifthe user gentlv releases the pressureionrthe button G. hold 'inghis finger-upon the buttonflbut'releasing it slightly and slowly there is not 'sufiiient thrust upon the rolls H to lock the mechanism, the gap at X being kept closed by reason of the fact thatthe tension spring J overcomes the release spring E. a Y

I claim c, e

l. The combination in a gage, of measur- :ing jaws, resilient means normally urging the jaws to position of closure, means to open said jaws, and means to retard the otherwise ungoverned action ofthe resilient closing means to prevent'the suddenclosing ofsaidjaws. v

2. 'The co'mbination in a gage having measuring jaws, comprising a fixed member and a movable member, of resilient closing meansnormally urging the jaws to position of closure, means 'to move said movable members away from said fixed member, and

-means to retard the otherwise ungoverned action of the resilient closing means to pre- V vent the sudden closing of saidjaws.

3. The combination with a gage h'avinga casing and measuring jaws, comprising a fixed .member and a pivoted member, of

means adapted normally to 'hold said pivoted member in engagementwith said fixed member, a guide mounted on said casing, a

push rod slidably mounted in said guide,

means tolock said rod against movement in said guide, and means to release said "looking means. I v

M 4. The combination with agage haVingJa casing and measuring jaws, comprising a fixed member and a' pivoted member, of means adaptednormally to hol'dsaidpivoted member in engagement with said fixed member, a guide mounted on said-casing, a push rod .slidably mounted said guide,

-means frictionally to lock'jsaid rodagainst movement in said guide, andcmean's to release sa1d locking means.

5. "The combination with agagelhaving a I casing and measuring 'jaws, comprising a fixed .member anda pivoted .member, of means adaptedxnormally'to hold said pivoted member vin engagement with's'aid fixed member, a guide mounted on said casing and. having a slot, a push rod slidably mounted in saidguide, a roller in said slot, 1 15 means normally to hold said roller in engagement with .said guide to "lockrsaid rod againstmovement, and imeansito release said roller.

6. The combination witha gage having a casing and measuring jaws, comprising a fixed .member and a pivoted member, of

means adapted normally to hold said .p'iv- I oted memberinengagement with said fixed member, a guide mounted on said ,casingand having, a slot, a push. rodifslidably .mounted in said guide, a roller in said slot, ;a,,stem

within said rod, means adapted normally to hdld said stem in engagement with-said roller to clock vsaid trod against .movement within said guide, said stem adapted when depressed to releasesaid rollerand unlock said rod.

7. The combination with a gage having normally closed measuring jaws, of a casing, a guide mounted on said casing and having a slot, a push rod slidably mounted in said guide, a roller in said slot, a stem within said rod and projecting therefrom, a spring adapted normally to hold said stem in engagement with said roller to lock said rod against movement in said guide, a head on the projecting portion of said stem, said head and said rod being spaced apart whereby pressure upon said head will release said roller and unlock said rod without moving said rod in its guide.

8. The combination with a gage having normally closed measuring jaws, of a casing, a guide mounted on said casing, a push rod slidably mounted in said guide and having rolls in said slots having circumferential grooves and rounded ends, a stem within said rod having a tapered portion and projecting therefrom, means adapted normally,

to hold said tapered portion of said rod in engagement with said rolls to lock said rod against movement in said guide, a head on the projecting portion of said stem, said head and said rod being spaced apart whereby pressure upon said head will release said rolls and unlock said rod without moving said rod in its guide.

Signed by me at Bridgeport, Connecticut, this 22nd day of May, 1913.

ERNEST B. CROCKER.

Witnesses S. F. CONE, H. P. GooDWIN.

(-nnies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

